Geneva Arts Fair Showcases Talented Artisans

South Third Street in downtown Geneva will host the Geneva Arts Fair, an annual two-day exhibition featuring skilled artisans from across the nation. This event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26. For further details about the fair, visit the Geneva Chamber of Commerce website.

Local painter Elizabeth Kindig will present her work near the Kane County Historic Courthouse. Her booth will be located between James and Campbell streets. Kindig’s mediums include oils, acrylics, and pastels. Originally from Indiana, she moved to Geneva, her husband’s hometown, two years ago.

I often play with color and abstraction to evoke my memories of the farm where I grew up,

Kindig said in a website statement. Her passion for painting lies in still life and landscapes. In my still life work, I seek to give renewed pride of place to those heirlooms that often get tucked away in an attic, she remarked. Childhood memories of exploring her family’s farmhouse sparked her interest in the history and memories linked to these items.

She shared her experiences about capturing family heirlooms on canvas. For one piece, she painted a client’s late grandfather’s Standard Oil work coat, highlighting personal details like hand-sewn name and repairs.

Her grandmother had hand-sewn his first name on the jacket and there was a sewn patch to repair a hole. I really wanted to capture those hand-sewn details,

Kindig explained. These elements make the jacket an heirloom for future generations.

Settling in Geneva has allowed Kindig to focus on painting. I am moved and motivated by my family’s history on the farm and the visual elements of the repetition of cornfields and the way grain silos catch the light throughout the day, she shared.

She previously worked as a middle school humanities teacher in northwest Indiana. Now, Kindig is dedicated to exploring her art full-time in Geneva.